The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-07

took shape in the last session In the
enactment Of the interstate commerce
law, and as cheap and easy transpor::
tation' was offered as the fundamental
reason for the improvement Of the
natural water ways, that Ia would bsvo
been most opportune II the measure
providing for the continuation Of that
improvement could have become law
along with the bill providing for the
regulation OF transp ortstion by rail as
the two had the common object OF re-
lieving the peonle OF excessive charges
for carrying their products to market.
81 may 20 further and say that the
circumstances might have excused the
President for straining a point to put
thoes kindred measures before the
country together, as laws bearing di.
rectly on the came interests. But 1t
was not done and l content myself
with giving the reasons why l do not
believe the failure to sign the last
river and hsi Dor bill, under the cir.
cumstances, implied hostility to the
bill, or even indifference to the great
interests to which II relates. My in
formation Is that many other bills,
come OF them manifestly free from
objection, failed for lack Of time to
act upon them, after they hsd passed
both houses OF Congress.
For instance, toward the close OF the
session q bill was passed providing for
holding terms OF the Federal Couit at
Vicksburg, and few days sfterward
similar bill was passed Tor Mississippi
City, where admiralty controversies
make the necessity urgent for some
such measure. The first was signed
and the other failed for lack Of time.
Two bills were passed sppropria ing
money, and as it happened the same
amount-$l0,0 00-the one for the re-
pair Of the National Cemetery road a.
Vicksburg, and the other for the con.
struction If q road like II to the Ma
tional Cemetery at Corinth. But the
one was passed few days before the
other, and that one was signed and
the other was not, though there was
no objection to 1t from any quarter.
"0ther cases might be sighted, but l
mention these as two in which some
OF US from Mississippi felt special in.
terest, and we were not a little dis
turbed by the result, but II did not
occur to me that the President was OPP
posed 10 the bills he failed to sign,
after he had committed himself TO the
principle OF those bills by signing
others Just like them.
81 am aware it has been claimed
that he had ten days In which to sign
these bills, and therefore the adjourn
ment Is no sufficient explanation of
bis failure to oct on them. Whether
the President has the power to sign q
bill when Congress Is not in session 10
a grave question of constitutional in
depreciation on which there 10 defer
ence Of opinion. Your imme-
diate representative, Mr.. Catch
ings, and other distinguished law.
yers in Congress submitted to the
President fJrcibls argument in favor
OF the power, to which many who OK.
amined 1t could see no satisfactory an.
swer. But / did not fad fault with
the President for not yielding TO II,
nor will you when you consider that
nis legal adviser, the Att irney Gen
ersl, according 10 repor,s, was pro
nounced in his opinion, in which
many eminent lawyers and statesmen
concurred, that ,he President has no
such power; and consider also that no
one OF his predecessors has even under
taken to exercise the power, except
Mr.. Lincoln once In time OF war; a1d
his action "a robbed Of its force as q
precedent by the action Of the FIRST
Congress that met aflerward, which
discredited II by making haste TO vail
date II by the passage OF another law
which would have been useless II the
first one had been clearly good.
81 leave his subj sct, on which /
deemed IL due to submit TO you my
views for Whatever they might seem
TO be worth, feeling that have given
you at least frankly the reasons which
forbid me to believe the President Is
the enemy OF the chief interest which
concerns tue people whom | am now
addressing. II prove to be mistaken,
these reasons will explain how | was
conducted 10 my conc usion; but /
desire to repeat and impress upon you
thai / do moi speak from authority,
but simply argue from premiscs which
are open 10 all.
"The following extract from an in
teryiew with Senator Gibson, of Lou.
isIana. will show what the PresIdsot
himself has lately said upon this sub.
iect. AZ renorted Ia the Nav OrlsNoa
Pioauins of June lltb. Senator OH.
son saw.
1T, r,,
. linen Cai,oi upOn 'ps rIei,lasnt ait tI
river and harbor bill TO receive his app n
sl,hou.h hi, party platform, his own letter
o. seespttan'i Gpd ,o 9 s5ovnl o. hs river
the D Icy, but be told me thai be had had
time only 70 look At The bill the nisht before
sdl9prnmsna snd , ,s the seerstsy Of war
on on hand ~ ' '"' ''1'
an,
an. D a,,.s,s daciass,;ng V " ,Sa p ppon
s ayy, p we, rnoi1v nnon ,ho desa
u .s,,,.,. - Nv "o III uP ona Wy hiu' 0oI
MI 10. onI,aa,p H. .s,
any II % so w " 'leu :,
"1 ISn anae o ,ho nV ~ =. ~. ,S 90.
a., y, I ~ n snvI ws ~ .ne SUI
!e.' y, III h ppi, sIsu'
ihk thah hho hiooh bohy VI pcOpit Wtft